Toy vehicle playsets have enjoyed great popularity through the years and have provided a variety of toy vehicles both powered and unpowered together with cooperating accessories. In some toy vehicle playsets, an unpowered vehicle is launched or started into a confining track set which may be multiply curved and convoluted to wind the toy vehicle through a variety of turns, loops, and other stunts. In still others, collision or crash simulation is provided in which toy vehicles are impact responsive to provide separation and apparent explosion of multiply articulated car bodies having spring-loaded exploding mechanisms therein. All of the foregoing combine to provide a variety of playsets offering the child user substantial amusement, entertainment, and enjoyment.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,867 issued to Hippely sets forth a TOY VEHICLE TRACKWAY SET including a base member defining a circular ramp, a vehicle loop, a straight track segment and a vehicle receiving net. The trackway set is assembled in a first configuration in which a self-powered toy vehicle may be accelerated sequentially through the straight track, the loop and the ramp and be launched from the ramp toward a receiving net. The entire assembly snap fits into a compact storage configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,789 issued to Halford et al sets forth a COMBINED JUMP MEANS AND TOY VEHICLE WITH SIMULATED STUNT 15 HOOP having a toy vehicle, a jump for the vehicle, a tower holding a swinging hoop and a flame design encircling the hoop. The toy vehicle accelerates through the jump and is launched through the center aperture of the flame simulating hoop.
German Patent No. 2,038,611 sets forth a flying jump for model cars which can be adjusted in length by remote control using a Bowden cable to alter the sliding action below the jump. Markers on the track are knocked over by contact with the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,094 issued to Gutmann sets forth an IMPACT OPERATED TOY having a toy vehicle replicating a car or the like defining a hinged chassis and multiply articulated and hinged body configurable in either a closed "normal" position or an exploded or "wrecked" configuration. Spring biasing means are provided together with latch means to produce an abrupt transition from normal to wrecked configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,137 issued to Vine sets forth a SELF-UPSETTING TOY VEHICLE having a impact responsive bumper trigger coupled to a spring-loaded latched upsetting lever beneath the car. When impact is sensed by the bumper trigger, the latch is released and a captive spring forces the upsetting lever downwardly against the play surface flipping the toy vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,429 issued to Brown et al sets forth a TOY VEHICLE EXPLODABLE ON CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT having an impact sensitive bumper coupled to a trigger release latch mechanism. The toy vehicle includes a plurality of multiply articulated body and chassis components which are locked in place in opposition to a captive spring and are released by bumper impact.
British Patent No. 413,423 sets forth IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO TOYS in which a plurality of exploding vehicles such as a war ship or the like includes spring-loaded exploding means and trigger control means.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,385,724 issued to Olson sets forth a TOY having a war ship comprising a hull and a plurality of articulated super structure and deck components. A spring-loaded exploder is supported within the hull interior and is latched in place by a trigger mechanism. A trigger rod extends upwardly from the trigger mechanism and is operative when struck by falling objects such as a simulated bomb to release the exploder and simulate ship explosion upon bomb impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 646,115 issued to Wichmann sets forth a TOY having a war ship supporting a plurality of deck and super structure components together with a spring-loaded exploding mechanism which is released on impact to simulate ship explosion.
British Patent No. 2,133,711 issued to Semark sets forth an EXPLODING TOY E.G. A TARGET SHIP includes an assembly of separate pieces arranged together with resilient means such as a compressible spring. The assembly may be deformed and released to cause the assembly to explode into separate pieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 276,539 issued to Reed sets forth a KNOCK DOWN OR BUILDING BLOCK TOY having a box-like housing within which a spring-loaded exploding mechanism and trigger are supported. A plurality of additional building components are supported upon the building frame and a target mechanism releases a captive spring on impact to simulate explosion.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,235,771 issued to Dettra sets forth a TOY having a simulated war ship supporting a plurality of separate super structure and deck components together with a spring-loaded releasable exploding mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,457,653 issued to Froelich sets forth a KNOCK APART TOY having a simulated military vehicle or the like which includes a plurality of separable components and a spring-loaded release mechanism which produces simulated explosion upon impact.
British Patent No. 8133 issued to Headworth sets forth a MECHANICAL TOY BRIDGE having a pair of bridge abutments supporting a pair of articulated span members which are separable and movable between upwardly separated extending positions and inwardly extending closed positions.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided enjoyment and amusement to a variety of children, these mechanisms are often complex and expensive to manufacture. In addition, many have utilized a plurality of parts which are easily lost by younger children reducing the play value of the playsets. Therefore there remains a continuing need in the art for inexpensive, easy to use and dramatic toy vehicle playsets which younger children can manipulate and which tend to avoid the loss or separation of major system components.